The Emerald City

Focusing on the mining town of Campos Verde, Brazil, this short film highlights the costs and benefits of emerald mining and marketing. While there are negative environmental impacts from the mines, modernization and research have revealed positive practices and a cascade of sustainable development effects from the emerald business in Campos Verde and other market towns. Filmed by Saleem Ali in conjunction with his attendance at the 5th Annual General Meeting of Communities and Small-Scale Mining (CASM), a multi-donor technical assistance facility that aims to reduce poverty and improve quality of life in mining communities, the film depicts the complexity of environmental and social issues involved in gemstone mining and proffers ideas on how to establish sustainable livelihoods for rural communities in Brazil.